Nuggets fans mock 76ers’ Joel Embiid with brutal 3-word chant

The The Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers competed in Denver on Tuesday night in a rivalry game, but one part of the rivalry was missing. 76ers star Joel Embiid he missed this game due to a knee injury he’s been dealing with all season, so Nikola Jokic was the only superstar big man on the floor.

During the game, which the Nuggets easily escaped in a 144-109 loss, the Nuggets fans asked sarcastically where the 76ers star was.

Embiid hasn’t played a game in Denver since November 2019 due to injury, rest or other reasons, and Nuggets fans have routinely cast aspersions on the 2022-23 NBA MVP for his continued absence. The 76ers don’t return to Denver this season, but they do face the Nuggets on January 31st, so fans will hopefully get a chance to see the two superstars go head-to-head.

Without Embiid in the lineup to distract Jokic, the three-time MVP took full advantage. Jokic finished with another triple-double, his fourth straight, with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in 30 minutes. He didn’t have to play much in the fourth quarter because of the lopsided score, and Nuggets fans will be thrilled to see Jokic get some well-deserved rest.

The Nuggets are quietly playing some of their best basketball of the season in recent memory, winning three straight and eight of their last 10 to cement themselves firmly as one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference.

On the other hand, The 76ers continue to spiral out of control with its stars in and out of the lineup. Tyrese McKay and Paul George played in this game for Philadelphia, but it wasn’t enough to even compete against a hot Nuggets team. The 76ers have now lost seven straight games and are just 15-27 on the season, a record that even the most pessimistic pundits wouldn’t have predicted entering the season.

Part of the reason for the struggle is that Embiid was only able to play in 13 games this season because of that knee injury. Philadelphia is 7-6 when Embiid has been on the floor and has won six of its last seven games, so there’s reason to believe they can climb back up the standings if Embiid stays on the court. If not, however, the nightmare season has a chance to continue to worsen.